


Insomnia

by strigine



Series: Slumber Sequence [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Insomnia, M/M, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-04 16:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10283501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strigine/pseuds/strigine
Summary: Hermann can't sleep, and Newton's on the other side of the ocean.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [Burn Gorman's regram of Charlie Day's selfie made up with Newton's tattoos](https://www.instagram.com/p/BREmQIJhB_M/?taken-by=burngorman1). 
> 
> 1\. Someday I will write something longer than a thousand words about these two dorks?  
> 2\. That involves beds in a sexy way?

Hermann has been lying awake for at least an hour when his phone chimes. He fumbles for it on the bedside table, finally plucking it from the charging pad. When he wakes the screen, he has a text notification.

From Newton.

Who is at a conference in Lima while Hermann is in Honolulu for another. He feels his brow furrowing even as he opens the text and peers blearily at the screen. Of course the fool is texting him at an hour when anyone reasonable would expect Hermann to be asleep. 

_cant sleep, huh_

Anyone reasonable who did not still have an inexplicable Drift-artifact telepathic connection with him.

_Not yet._

_take ur meds?_

"Damn you," Hermann mutters. _The reception ran late._ His one social camouflage drink had become two and half of a third, and he did not like to take his pain medication too soon after drinking, and then it was late enough he was concerned about sleeping through his alarm, or not being clearheaded for the morning presentations.

_if u cant sleep cause your hips fucking with u ur gonna be fucked in the morning anyway_

As Hermann was beginning an irritable reply, another text came. _sides, ur the gd rockstar there, nobodys gonna say shit if u miss morning session. its mostly the grad students anyway ull just make em crap themselves._

_I like to provide constructive feedback!_

_u like making em crap themselves dont lie._

_I regret my association with you daily._

Even as he tapped 'send', his chest tightened. A few minutes passed without a reply.

 ~~ _I'm sorry_~~   _ ~~Are you busy~~_   ~~ _Don't mind me, I'm tired and it's hot and I miss_~~

Another message came through while he was deleting another attempt, with an image attached. Newton, shirtless but wearing sunglasses, with a day's worth of stubble. He had taken it holding his phone at arm's length, his tattoo of Yamarashi peeking over the edge of the frame. Even with the tinted lenses shielding his eyes he looked...a bit like Hermann felt. Tired. 

Lonely.

Hermann finally looked at the accompanying words.

_u know you dont regret getting to tap this on the reg_

A huff of laughter pushed its way past his lips. _You are ridiculous._

_yeah but im ur ridiculous._

Damn it, he was blushing. _You're going to be late. And shave, for God's sake._

_ill shave if you take ur meds_

Herman lay the phone screen-down on his chest as he stared towards the ceiling, dimly visible in the ambient city light leaking past the closed curtains. Finally, he sighed, then rolled slowly onto his side. Using his phone for illumination, he uncapped the prescription bottle and swallowed two pills, chasing them with tepid water from the glass he'd put by his bed hours before. He rearranged the pillows, and pulled the sheet back up to his sternum.

_Fine, I took them._

_ok good. thank you_

Bloody hell, had some of his pain been leaking through their connection as well as his frustration? His chest felt tight again; he rubbed a hand over his stinging eyes.

_quit it u know ill be stupid about my meds at some point u can yell at me then_

He snorted. _Not taking care of yourself should not be incentive._

_yeah but u know its gonna happen so just roll with it_

He scrolled back up to the photo. He could make out the freckles scattered heavily across Newton's upper arms, in the rare blank spaces; he had gotten some sun on this trip. The wedge of upper chest that was visible showed dark chest hair. Hermann would never admit it, but he did enjoy the contrasts between their bodies, the ones that had nothing to do with Hermann's injury or Newton's obsession with body art. He touched his thumb to the hollow between Newton's shoulder and collarbone, emphasized by the angle of his arm.

The window scrolled down. _whoah, save some of that for when we get back._

 _There's too much to use before then._ He squinted at the screen. Did that even make sense?

_oh sure talk dirty to me before i gotta go into this presentation_

_ppl already think i have a kaiju fetish_

_having a stiffy while talking about the breach wont help_

He laughed out loud. _Your own fault, but point taken. Go get ready. And shave!_

_i promised didnt i? good night, sweet prince_

_Guten morgen_ His thumb hovered over the 'm' before he tapped "Send". He darkened the screen, then reached out to blindly fumble the phone onto the charging pad. It took a few attempts before the wash of blue light indicating success. He folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.

Vibrating pressure against his Adam's apple almost startled him into opening his eyes again. It traveled up his throat and over his chin, then along his jaw.

Newton was shaving. Hermann smiled and let the undertow of the painkillers pull him down towards sleep.


End file.
